


Breathe with me

by WordsOfHeart



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), Life Is Strange 2 (Video Game)
Genre: After Redemption, But it was 6 years in jail, Crying Sean and Daniel, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Prison, Protective Daniel, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, The story of the wolf brothers does not end, lots of emotions, not 15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:01:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26690320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsOfHeart/pseuds/WordsOfHeart
Summary: After six years in jail, Sean is back at the Reynolds, but life is far from being back to normal.Both Sean and Daniel have their own emotional baggage to carry.But they are there for one and other, and that, is all that matters in the end.__________________Or, Sean has bad nightmare and Daniel helps him through it, as brothers should.It's emotional, so be ready.
Relationships: Daniel Diaz & Sean Diaz, Daniel Diaz/Sean Diaz
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	Breathe with me

**Author's Note:**

> Hi loves, 
> 
> So I got inspired by the redemption ending for this one shot.   
> Though, I did switch up the timeline.   
> In my game play, I played with 100% honesty, never stole and never killed anyone.   
> Somehow, my Sean still spent 15 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.   
> In this story, Sean spends 6 years in jail.   
> He is therefore 22 and Daniel is 16. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy Xx

Everything is peaceful at the Reynolds household. A small fluorescent light shines through the creek of the bedroom door, offering comfort to Daniel’s snoozing form. Ever since he had started living with his grandparents, Claire would always make sure that there was a source of light to beat the darkness, desperately wanting to avoid the horrible recurring dreams that her grandson kept having almost every night. It’s not much, but it has made a considerable difference so far, which is why she is so fond of keeping a night light on in the hallway.

As the cold breeze of November brushes against the windows of Karen’s old bedroom, Daniel feels lulled, remaining deep into his slumber. His chest raises and falls slowly with every breath, blankets caressing his chin. Sean is sleeping in the room next to his and that in itself is enough to keep him at ease. He would never go back to a world without his big brother, pain of being separated too heavy to carry.

When a small whine echoes through the hallway, Daniel’s sleep is disrupted momentarily. He pulls his knees to his stomach and hugs his legs in attempt to calm his increasing heartbeat. He squeezes his eyes shut, refusing to accept the harsh reality of what is currently happening. Sadly enough, when a shout follows, Daniel is left with no other choice than to snap his eyes open, knowing exactly what is happening in the other room. He has been through the same thing far too many times.

As quickly as he can, Daniel kicks the blankets away from his body. He jumps out of his bed, exiting his bedroom only to enter the one where his brother is staying until he leaves for his next big trip, away from them. Not caring to shut the door behind him as he walks in, Daniel immediately gets into Sean’s bed in hopes of pulling him out from his nightmare. He shakes him awake, frowning at the sight of the sweat pearling against his creased forehead. The small whimpers that escape his brother’s parted lips break his heart, making him wonder just how traumatising his last six years must have been. Sean had always been good at playing the tough card and seeing him this vulnerable sends Daniel into a guilt trip, knowing just how badly his brother must have been hurting on the inside all this time.

Daniel lets his fingers slowly brush away the soaked strands of hair from Sean’s forehead before whispering comforting words into his ear. "S-Sean…It’s me. It’s Daniel. It’s okay, you’re safe. You’re not alone anymore. I’ll never let that happen again." He tries his best to soothe him, still gently playing into his hair, not wanting to startle him.

From the corner of his eye, Daniel see’s Claire standing in the doorway. It’s quite dark but he still notices the tears reflect against her cheeks. She quickly rubs them away with the back of her hand before offering him a sad smile. She crosses her arms around her chest and waits hesitantly for Daniel to request her help. The scenery sends her flashbacks of all the times she had to do the same exact thing for Daniel as he woke up crying from yet another vivid dream of Sean dying.

After what appears like a lifetime, Sean’s eyes finally flicker open, looking around the room in terror. Even though Sean was missing an eye for six years now, it kept being a surprise every time he woke up, as if he was expecting to miraculously regain his vision one day.

When he meets with Daniel’s worried glance, he sighs in relief, shoulders sinking in. He tries to catch his breath as he feels his heart thump out of his chest. Daniel lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

"Go back to bed grandma. This might be a long night, but I have it under control. Try and not worry too much. " Daniel looks back at his grandmother with gratitude as he wraps his arms around Sean’s shivering frame, pulling him into his side.

"Of course I’ll worry. I always do. " Claire sighs as she walks into the room, only to apply a light kiss to the top of Sean’s head. It makes him shiver, reminding him of how his dad used to do the exact same thing whenever he didn’t feel good. She ruffles Daniel’s hair and winks at him before turning her heals and gently shutting the door behind her, knowing both her boys needed their privacy. As she walks back to join a very worried Stephen in bed, she allows the tears to fall, feeling so incredibly helpless.

As Daniel holds Sean tightly, he feels how badly he is shaking. His brother is terrified, still struggling to breathe properly, heaving with every attempt to fill his lungs with air. Sean’s thin fingers grip so tightly onto the sleeves of Daniel’s sweater, he wonders if the fabric will rip. He doesn’t bring himself to care though, letting him clutch as firmly as he needs.

After multiple minutes of resting in the same position, motionless, Daniel attempts to gently rub his brother’s back. He bites his inner cheek as he realises the sharpness of Sean’s spine against the tip of his fingers. Sean had lost an immense amount of weight since being away, but Daniel never had enough courage to confront his brother about his concerns. It didn’t help much that Sean never talked about the past, but only about the present. With time, Daniel had learned to respect that, even if he still had far too many unanswered questions.

Daniel hated himself for even thinking about it, but he was convinced that the Sean he had once known, the Sean from Seattle, had died at the exact same moment their dad got shot. The 22-year-old boy he is holding right this second has nothing to do with the cheerful, indie music loving teenager who enjoyed teasing him to the point where they would fight for hours. The boy he is rocking back and forth is still his brother, but he is also a kid who got his whole life ripped away from him for a crime that he didn’t commit and that, to this day, killed Daniel in more ways than he could express. Sean is broken and he can’t blame him because deep down, Daniel is broken too. He has been ever since the police had taken Sean away from him at the Mexican boarder.

Daniel is pulled away from his thoughts when he catches onto a few mumbles. He shifts his head slightly to the right, only to meet with Sean’s sad gaze.

"What did you just say?" Daniel raises an eyebrow, wrapping his fingers around Sean’s small wrist and holding it against his leg.

"I said…I feel like I’m going to be sick…" Sean repeats, taking his free hand and pressuring it in the middle of his torso, trying to take steady breaths to calm down his waves of nausea. Daniel frowns because he knows that feeling far too well.

_________________________________

_5 years before_

_"Sean! No, don’t leave me Sean! Sean! Come back! " He kicks and squirms, horrific images of Sean getting shot by an agent filling his mind._

_"Daniel, sweetheart. Shh…Calm down darling. " Claire whispers as she runs into his room, Stephen standing right by her side, eyes wide with tears._

_For the fourth night in a row, they were both woken up by Daniel’s agonising screams._

_Claire pulls her grandson against her, letting him sit up straight. He starts crying the second he meets his grandmother’s eyes, covering his warm face with his hands as he sobs into them. Claire wraps her arms around him and whispers sweet words into his hair, not daring to let go._

_"Everything h-hurt. I…I just want S-Sean. " He hiccups through his sobs, heart aching with loneliness._

_Claire presses her lips together in attempt to keep her own sobs from sliding out._

_"I know darling I know…Breathe with me…In…and out…"_

_________________________________

"It’s going to be alright. Breathe with me. Deep inhales and slow exhales." Daniel tries, images of his grandmother soothing him flashing through his mind. He takes his brother’s other hand, slowly moving it from his torso to his lap, now holding them both against his knees, trying his best to ground him back into reality. "In. " He indicates, taking a heavy breath and holding it in for five seconds. "And out." He smiles lightly when he realises Sean is doing what he says.

It used to be the other way around.

When Sean feels oxygen finally reaching his lungs, he closes his eyes and lets his forehead fall against Daniels, hand crawling to the back of his neck.

"Sometimes, I forget that you aren’t nine anymore. " He admits, letting the tears that had been threatening him, drip along his cheek. "You’ve grown into such an amazing person Daniel. "

Daniel sniffles as his eyes follow the tears running along his brother’s face, letting his own tears free.

"Most of it is because of you. Even with dad gone, you always made me feel safe. " Daniel admits, mimicking the movement of his brother and placing his hand at the same exact place as his, behind his neck.

"Daniel. I was gone for six years. I wasn’t there for you at all. I missed it all. " Sean shamefully admits, but Daniel’s heart accelerates, feeling so relieved that Sean was actually daring to speak about the past.

"Sure, it wasn’t the same…But everything you did had a huge impact on me Sean. Those comics you drew for me, all those beautiful letters…your phone calls. " Daniel explains, wanting his brother to know just how much of a positive impact he did have on him. "I never want you to doubt about how much of a difference you’ve made for me Sean. I wouldn’t even be alive if it wasn’t for you. "

Sean sighs in defeat because he knows far too well there’s no way he can debate on all those things. He knows that his little brother will never let him win.

"Daniel…" Sean sighs, rubbing his tears away with the tip of his thumb. "Can you stay here with me tonight? "

And at that, Daniel’s smile becomes as wide as when their dad would give him a Chococrisp bar. He feels like maybe they are going foreword, like maybe all hope isn’t lost, like maybe the old Sean is still in there, somewhere.

"I’m not going anywhere. You’re done being alone Sean. " Daniel promises, laying against the second pillow and pulling him down as well, right next to him.

"Want me to spoon you? Like I used to do when you were scared at night? " Sean asks his brother, offering him a light smile. It is still filled with so much sadness, but for Daniel, it is huge progress. He shakes his head lightly and wraps his arms around his older brother instead.

"Tonight, I get to hold you. Alright? " Daniel insists, relaxing when he notices that Sean’s tremors had died down quite a bit.

Sean doesn’t protest. Instead, he closes his eyes and fully embraces the moment. A moment he never thought he’d get to live.

"Have I ever told you about the story of the wolf brothers? " Daniel asks, bottom lip quivering with emotion.

"Didn’t their story end at the border? " Sean asks shamefully.

"Actually, no. This is only the beginning of their story. " Daniel smiles as he pulls his brother closely against him.

"Will you tell what happens then?"

"Of course. " Daniel replies, hopeful. He runs his fingers through his brother’s hair, knowing from Sean’s tired voice that he is only seconds away from falling asleep.

_"Once upon a time, the wolf brothers got a second chance at happiness…They were scared, and they had no idea where to start. Both were broken in their own way, but they had each other and that…that was all that mattered because as they howled together, they were strong enough to beat every struggle that would come their way. "_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my little story and for being a part of my creating universe for a little bit. I am still very emotionnaly ruined by LIS2, so please bare with me. Writing helps me get though the horrible sadness that came with my ending. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos make my day, what can I say ? 
> 
> Sabrina,   
> Beaucoup d'amour Xx


End file.
